The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1887-10-12
FOREIGN GOSSIP.

handsome Swiss girls in native dress.
This is said to account for the with
drawal of English patronage.
-Frenchwomen have of late begun
to manifest an extraordinary taste for
rare books, curious editions, and beau
tiful old bindings. Hitherto the typi-
cal Parisienne read less than the wom-
en- of any other civilized nation, and
the only wonder is they are 80 well in
formed rs they are in most matters.
"A French journal prints the num-
Der of works of art exhibited at the
saloons since 1872. OF n total OF 2. O69
that year, 1000 we're pictures proper.
The total to date is "a, 4OS, including
"a. 14s pictures proper. The other 90
900 were not pictures improper, as
might be supposed, but sculptures and
medals. -Philade' phia Press.
The English co-operativcs have a
bank whose transactions amount to
$4,000, 900 year. They have l, 400
stores and do a business of $3.50. 000, =
600 year. Their 100000 members
receive an annual profit of Sl5 0OO,-
600 Their profits during the past
twenty-four years have been $3.50, OOO.-
600. -Pubhc Opinion.
The Prussian Minister of Public
instruction has vetoed bill providing
for the lighting of the Royal museums
of Berlin by electricity for the reason
that the public has ample facilities for
visiting the reading-rooms in daytime.
Only the Museum of Art Industry,
which already possesses the necessary
appliances, will b. lighted by cleo
tricity and be accessible to the public
in the evening hours.
The japanese Prof. Nishigava is
at present studying the German art Of
beer brewing at its source in Munich,
where he spent as much time as eight
days in one brewery. He was sent
thither by the Japanese Government
which is DESTROYS of checking the
growing consumption of brandy, and
contemplates the Introduction of Ger
man and English beer free of duty,
while putting high tax on stronger
alcoholic liquors.
"A French newspaper reports that
in Subiaco, near Rome, all the inhabit-
ants are under the influence of cpl
lepsy or hypnotism. The curato spends
his time in exercising the evil spirits,
and Cardinal Blanchi has sent the
Popo's special benediction-all with
out avail A troop of soldiers who
were sent to tho village have shown
symptoms of giving way to the disease,
and there is supposed to be something
in the air affecting the nerves.
Next to gold. statistics show that
kawri gum is the most valuable pro-
duct of mining industry in New z ca
land. This gum, which Is largely used
in the manufacture of fine varnishes.
occurs in the ground formerly occu-
pied by kawri forests. and is also found
as deposit at the foot of the growing
kawri tree. In the North Island about
six thousand tons are obtained annual
ly, and the value of the aggregate
yield up to the present time has been
S17,5O0, 0O0-M y Ledger.
Comfortably to the laws of adj
vance and retreat of glaciers, it is said
those in the valley of Chamounix,
Switzerland, are now beginning to adj
vance. The lower extremity of the
Glacier DIES Blossoms is mot more than
three thousand feet above the level of
the sea-" and is going still lower.
During the past three years this lower
extremity "has advanced at the rate OF
fifty yards year." 1t is said that "a
grotto cut out of the ice in May, 1916,
a quarter of mile from the extremity,
has moved down more than sixty
yards"
The gold which is now being dug
out Of the ancient cemeteries (huacas)
at Hilandia, Central Americg, and
other places near Pereira, has led more
than one thousand workmen to flock to
that spot and town has sprung up
there within the last four years which
now contains more than fifty thousand
inhabitants. Public attention is being
turned to those regions, as the ancient
burial places and deposits of the
wealthy Cacique Caracal have not yet
been discovered, and it is believed that
his treasures were immensely more
valuable than any which haveyet been
unearthed.
1t seems anomalous, says an En-
g'ish paper, that corn should be as
cheap in part Of Turkey as near to
the great European markets as Erze-
roum is. as in the most remote districts
of the far West of America or Mani.
toba, while live stock aud dairy pro-
duce sell at low prices The m cans Of
communications are so bad in Erze-
roum, however, that wheat was selling
there last autumn, according to Acting
Consul Dewey at II shillings quar-.
ter. barley at a little over 5 shillings,
sheep at Z shillings and pence to
shillings each. butter at 81 pence pei
pound and cheese at l penny. When,
If ever, the proposed railway from
Constantinople to Diarbckir is com.
pleted. the farmers of the vilayet will,
no doubt, get better prices
WHAT THE TURKS EAT.